The proliferation of ways to send messages has paradoxically made it harder to be sure that the right messages reach the right recipients at the right times. A sender may have to choose between email, instant messaging, and other forms of electronic communication. Sending a message via all available channels is one possible solution, but it runs the risk of overwhelming (or at least annoying) the recipients.
The problem is particularly complex when an urgent message involves confidential information. The most conveniently-accessed channels-voice mail and SMS, to give just two examples—are partially or wholly insecure. But using proprietary technologies creates problems for recipients, who may have to manage multiple different technologies on multiple devices if they are to receive messages from different senders.
For example, doctors may work with service providers, such as laboratories. A laboratory may need to send messages of varying levels of urgency to doctors: for example, doctors may need to be alerted variously about incomplete test orders, urgent test results, or problems with billing for performed tests. Some of these messages may need to be delivered immediately, yet any messaging technology must respect the confidentiality of legally protected healthcare information. And a physician may deal with many different laboratories and other service providers, which creates the risk that closed, proprietary systems may proliferate beyond usefulness.